Surprise! Most people want to see a gobbler approach from a long distance, but that's a mistake. Instead, look for setups where a turkey is in range the instant he instinctively knows he should be able to see the calling hen.

Make him top a hill, round a bend in a road or work around a vision-obscuring obstacle. When he does, he'll immediately look for the hen, and if you're 30 yards away, the hunt is finished.

A great point. Lots of hunters like to see the bird coming from a long way off, but many times that is a mistake.

Steve

When [url="http://www.EverydayHunter.com"]"The Everyday Hunter"[/url] isn't hunting, he's thinking about hunting, talking about hunting, dreaming about hunting, writing about hunting, or wishing he were hunting.

My dad and I hunt Merriams in the mountains and we rarely see them before they get right on us. One of my favorite things is when you're not sure if they've committed or not and all the sudden a gobble thunders out at 50 yards. That really gets the adrenaline pumping cause you know at any moment he'll appear.

Because I'm slow it took me a long time to figure this out. I used to set up in the open and wondered why birds would hang up? I never paid attention to what kind of cover I was in or what was behind me.

So much emphasis is put on calling and other aspects that sometimes having the right set up is overlooked especailly by those who are just starting.

To me it is one of the true keys to giving your self a chance for success.